Better than any of the feature film versions of John le Carre's novels and nearly as good as the TV mini-series based on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People.
Comment
02/26/07
The Good Shepherd (2006)
56
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:161
Fresh:90
Rotten:71
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: This fictitious CIA origin film is an overlong, tedious effort that leaves viewers with more questions than answers.
Theatrical Release:23-02-2007
Synopsis: With THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Robert De Niro (A BRONX TALE) makes an ambitious return to the director's chair. A labor of love for Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (FORREST GUMP), the film tells an... [More]
Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Joe Pesci, John Turturro
Director: Robert De Niro
Reviews for The Good Shepherd
It's a film for fans of John Le Carre, rather than Ian Fleming.
02/26/07
Never manages to create a gripping strand to hold our attention.
02/26/07
Not a film everyone will like. But those who do will appreciate De Niro's insistence on accurate detail.
02/23/07
165 minutes of my life I will never get back, damn it. This is one shepherd that’s lost control of its flock.
02/23/07
De Niro deserves credit for the broad, ambitious canvas he's worked on, but his movie is just as mechanical and humourless as his protagonist.
02/23/07
On paper this had “belter” written all over it. Sadly, Damon’s lifeless performance in the lead role failed to keep me gripped throughout the movie’s bum-numbing 167 minutes.
02/23/07
Touches are just enough to earn The Good Shepherd a third star. But De Niro might want to stick to acting in future.
02/23/07
A wan, muted film that is never less than interesting, but rarely more than that either.
02/23/07
Top CriticIt's well built but the Matt Damon character remains blank and too young to be convincing. It's solid, but like Damon himself it's a bit dull.
02/23/07
Top CriticA very dark, murky film, resentfully critical of the dysfunctional CIA family.
02/23/07
Top CriticDamon's shirts are always crisp, but he has the charisma of a perfectly groomed corpse.
02/23/07
Top CriticA serious film about a seriously relevant subject that, despite its flaws, fulfils much of its over-reaching ambition.
02/23/07
Top CriticPolished spy drama is a classy affair.
02/22/07
De Niro's second film features terrific performances and several impressive scenes, but he appears to have forgotten to hire an editor.
02/22/07
Well-crafted and well-acted, but ever-so-slightly worthy and strangely unaffecting. Given the track record of the CIA, it probably ought to be angrier.
02/22/07
Top CriticIntelligent, yes, politically astute, stuffed to the gills with A-list acting talent (overstuffed in fact, there are cameos a go-go), but too frozen with a sense of its own seriousness to grip.
02/20/07
Top CriticThe film’s watchable enough if you’re indulgent of its flaws but at 167 minutes it does tax the patience.
02/15/07
Top CriticOverlong and a little overstuffed, but De Niro’s ambitious tale of the CIA’s Cold War genesis is still worthy, smart and relevant.
02/14/07
This expertly made film is fascinating and gripping. And it's also so long that it feels like an entire TV series on DVD.
12/30/06
Latest News for The Good Shepherd
July 07, 2008:
De Niro Looking for More Good Shepherds 
It played to lukewarm reviews and middling box office, but Robert De Niro still wants to follow up The Good Shepherd with a pair of sequels. More...
March 04, 2008:
Rush Hour 3 Takes '07 DVD Rental Crown
It may not have been quite the box-office phenomenon that its predecessors were -- and critics may have disliked it enough to keep it down at 20 percent on the Tomatometer --... More...
December 20, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Five New Films Fight For Holiday Cheer
Moviegoers are in for a feast as studios will unleash a wide menu of new options on Friday trying to reach holiday patrons on the weekend before Santa comes to town. With so... More...
January 15, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Stomp" Steps All Over New Releases
Stomping into the number one spot over the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend was the college dance drama "Stomp the Yard," which grossed an estimated $22M in... More...
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